Workers at the Meteorological Service Agency have asked government to meet their demands in order to forestall the oncoming industrial action.
According to them, per international standards, flights cannot takeoff or land at the Kotoka International Airport (KIA) if they do not provide weather information to the Ghana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA).
Chairman of the Union, Paa Nii Clerg, stated that the Agency’s condition of service has not been the best over the years but government has failed to address the issues.
“We provide weather information for aeronautical purposes. That is to say, landing of aircraft and takeoff depend on the weather information we give to Ghana Civil Aviation Authority and Ghana Airport Company Limited. So, if we do not work, it means that they cannot work effectively”.
Paa Nii Clerg
Mr. Clerg further indicated that the agency has most of its district offices dilapidated as well as the conditions of service of the staff also very poor.
“As we speak now, 2021 car maintenance allowance, over time allowance, motor allowances have not been paid. There are issues with staff improvement which is training and has not been taken care off”.
Paa Nii Clerg
This follows the Chairman of the Ghana Airport Company Workers Union (GACWU), Abdul Issaka Bamba, indicating that the strike action by the Ghana Meteorological Association will affect operations at the Airport.
Speaking on the move by the Meteorological Association, Mr. Bamba averred they are concerned because the strike will truly have an impact on the Airport’s operations.
“They are stakeholders in this industry and definitely, airline movement will depend a lot on the weather. So, if they are not getting that permit, then definitely, it will affect the movement of aircraft and the operation of the airport where I belong”.
Paa Nii Clerg
Meteorological Agency Strike
Offices at the Headquarters of the Ghana Meteorological Agency in Accra have been locked with no staff on duty following their ongoing strike. The Agency asked all its members nationwide to lay down their tools to demand better conditions of service.
The Agency cited the non-payment of certain allowances and poor infrastructure, among others, as the reasons for its strike action.
It was explained that their decision to embark on the strike also followed the failure of the Minister of Communication and Digitalisation to respond to their demands for better conditions of service.
According to the workers, the minister failed to respond to a resolution presented to her on January 5, 2022. The workers are however, expected to meet with the Ministry of Communications and Digitalization over their concerns.
The Ghana Meteorological Agency explained that it is responsible for providing information on weather situations on a daily basis. It averred that the Agency keeps a meteorological watch over the Flight Information Region (FIR) for the Ghana Civil Aviation Authority.
According to the agency, the weather information provided by the agency is also used in a number of sectors including agriculture, industry, civil engineering, forestry, management of dams, tourism, among others.
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